US Drone Strike Kills Four in North Waziristan

A US drone fired two missiles against a house in Data Khel, North Waziristan Agency today, destroying the house and killing four people inside, all of them unidentified.

The four people killed were listed by officials as “suspects,” but beyond suggestions that they might be either militants or “their harborers,” there was no indication what they were even suspected of.

Drone strikes have been a major political issue in Pakistan, which is pushing for a global ban on nations using drones to kill people in other countries. The US strikes have been a prominent feature in the upcoming election, with opposition factions promising to end the killings.

US officials have long insisted they have a “tacit” understanding with the current Pakistani government on the strikes, even though Pakistani officials deny this deal, and have been pushing the US to stop the attacks.